1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to industrial machinery that employs conveyor belts for the movement of product materials. More specifically, it relates to rollers that support a conveyor belt, and around which the endless belt travels as the roller rotates.
2. Description of Prior Art
It is well known that, in many industries, a considerable amount of debris falls upon the inner side of the belt, from where it is then carried under the end roller, where is gradually accumulates as the roller continues to rotate. Some of the debris nearest the opposite ends of each roller may possibly fall out, in time; however, the debris under the center of each end roller gradually increases in thickness, so that the belt crown, extending along the center of the belt, becomes stretched and deformed in time, destroying the belt's efficiency. This occurs particularly in industries wherein granular materials are carried on the belts. In order to prevent such wear on the belt, the conveyor must be periodically stopped, for being cleaned, resulting in loss of production time. This situation is, accordingly, in want of an improvement.